High performance machine tools require a machine specific configuration of their CNC (computer numerical control) which is tuned before leaving the factory. The factory tuning, however, is a compromise among various target values for optimizing the machining process as it can not be optimized for a specific machining process. To overcome this deficiency, in some cases more than one predefined tuning configurations may be preinstalled by the factory, which then can be activated as required.
Another approach may make certain tuning parameters available to the operator to be adjusted. However, those tuning parameters are usually part of a complex control system that is difficult to interpret and that can severely damage the machine tool in case they are not set correctly. Therefore, the optimal use of the machine depends on the knowledge of the machine operator and his experience in tuning the machine parameters. Those machine parameters are for example cutting parameters like feed, speed, step over etc. For simple 2D operations and for materials easy to machine, the operators may still be able to handle the optimization of these parameters. However, with the introduction of high performance milling, applications have been extended to complex 3D geometries and to materials difficult to machine. At the same time, the performance of the machine hardware and CNC were significantly increased, permitting higher speeds and feeds to be applied. Therefore, the known optimization parameters were not adequate any more to take advantage of those improvements.
Moreover, some additional machine parameters had to be created or made accessible for the optimization of the machining process. However, contrary to the traditional optimization parameters, which were, from an operator's point of view, relatively easy to adjust, the new parameters require a different level of professional education in order to really understand their impact on the machining process. Consequently, today machine operators may have problems to exploit the high performance of such machine tools.
To this end, it is a task for machine tool manufacturers to provide a way to simplify the process of optimizing the machine parameters so that the customers can take fully advantage of the machine capabilities.